The shift from why to how
Over the last couple of years, in my role as an Intervention Designer, I have noticed many of our clients embarking on new directions in the sustainability space.
Sustainability seems no longer to be the box-ticking public relations exercise it felt like many companies were happy to propagate.
It’s becoming an integral part of their commercial strategy, moving beyond public-facing marketing pitches and ideological pledges towards strict financial realism that sees sustainability as:
- A mechanism for economic continuity, regulatory survival, and operational efficiency
- And a core strategic lever for cost control, supply chain resilience, and growth
The more I’ve noticed this, the more I’ve started to wonder:
Exactly how did sustainability achieve this seat at the boardroom table?
And was this driven purely by their specific organisational needs or as part of a bigger shift?
A quick history check
Back in the day when the flapping of flared jeans was the closest we got to wind-generated power, businesses traditionally treated social and environmental responsibility as activities separate from profit-making strategy, focusing on local issues such as pollution control and community support.
A turning point came in 1987, when the Brundtland Report (Our Common Future, produced by the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development) helped leaders to acknowledge that global economic growth had finite limits and that sustainability must be integrated into company strategy.
As the more eco-conscious 90s emerged, frameworks such as John Elkington's Triple Bottom Line encouraged organisations to consider “People, Planet and Profit”. Companies increasingly adopted Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes, focusing on their social, environmental and ethical impacts alongside financial performance. CSR effectively provided the 'why' - an internal perspective of ethical values, philanthropic goals, and brand purpose.
As we entered a new millennium, the demand for transparency and accountability grew. Investors, regulators, employees, and customers expected more than the broader commitments and responsibilities that CSR provided. They wanted evidence of the ‘how’.
Enter ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) - a data-driven framework of metrics and disclosures used by organisations, investors and regulators to evaluate how environmental, social and governance factors are managed and incorporated into decision-making.
And now? **it’s got real
Nowadays the era of voluntary reporting and estimated data lies firmly in the past. While CSR remains the foundational philosophy that drives internal culture and community relations, ESG has become a major framework to assess organisational performance and risk beyond traditional financial measures.
Growing scrutiny of sustainability claims and stronger reporting requirements have encouraged many organisations to communicate more cautiously about their sustainability efforts. This less public, evidence-led approach (known as greenhushing) has helped embed sustainability into business strategy, where data is increasingly treated with the same rigour as financial reporting.
Looking forward, if the future is all about long-term organisational performance, risk management, value creation and resilience, how do organisations bring employees along on this journey?
And not leave the conversation in the boardroom?
How do organisations put the ability in sustainability?
Big sustainability targets are often achieved through the thousands of micro-decisions made by employees in their everyday operations.
Smart organisations now realise that to truly embed sustainable practices, they need to listen to their employees; asking how they really feel, addressing cynicism honestly, and communicating sustainability as part of business strategy.
Through this transparency, they build a culture of authentic sustainability champions - an expanding group of advocates who inspire and guide others through shifting operational workflows with empathy and clear communication, aligning daily habits with long-term corporate purpose.
How we helped a client do it
We recently worked with a UK pension provider. They already understood how sustainability supported its purpose of helping customers retire into a thriving future world. The challenge was helping employees understand their role in delivering that vision.
By running employee focus groups, we gathered valuable insights and identified key behavioural barriers, which informed design solutions that would support a global shift from awareness to action…
How employee insights informed the solution
Insight: “It’s not my job”
Struggled to see how sustainability related to their role, especially if they were far removed from strategic decision-making.
Barrier: Psychological distance
Solution snapshots:
- Use industry relevant statistics on consumer preferences to frame sustainability more holistically, not just environmental benefits: e.g. how can we all contribute to a thriving world for our members to retire into?
- Provide opportunities to reflect on the expectations of stakeholders and customers who are demanding sustainability from their investments and suppliers.
Insight: “Is this just do as I say, not do as I do?”
Disengaged by company investment decisions versus personal sustainability efforts.
Barrier: Cognitive dissonance
Solution snapshots:
- Encourage progress over perfection through small incremental changes.
- Acknowledge that large strategic shifts take time and encourage people to take meaningful short-and medium-term actions now.
- Help employees recognise their actual, not perceived sphere of influence.
Insight: “No one else is doing it, why should I?”
More likely to change their behaviour if they saw their peers doing the same.
Barrier: Social norms
Solution snapshots:
- Showcase credible and persuasive messaging from internal champions to highlight ‘small change, big impact’ stories that show that small actions can work.
- Encourage sharing of individual successes to help build a culture of shared responsibility.
Insight: “I don’t have time for this.”
Feeling like they are having tasks added to their workload.
Barrier: Cognitive load
Solution snapshots:
- A decision-making framework with simple ‘rule of thumb’ heuristics reduces overwhelm, highlights the environmental impact of activities and drives a sustainable mindset. The framework works at all levels of the organisation, from those looking to reduce the use of resources in daily operations to those looking to embed sustainability and climate considerations into policies, processes and strategies.
- Opportunities to commit to personal sustainability goals, providing a range of achievable options that don’t feel prescriptive or forced.
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We have helped many clients to change behaviours to support their sustainability strategy. If you think your organisation can make strides into the future of sustainability, let’s talk.
